


Nightlife

by R00k



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Excessive Drinking, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Insomnia, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-11-19 15:08:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11315943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R00k/pseuds/R00k
Summary: Scott Ryder's feelings of control and self-worth begin to fall apart when a night of partying in Kadara Port with his squadmates turns into the worst night of his life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try to accurately portray the rape-kit examination process because there are so many misconceptions about it in fanfiction (if it's even discussed at all). It's incredibly important to seek medical attention following an assault. Your health is more important than trying to move on or quietly deal with it yourself. There are a ton of resources out there to help you. Let me know if I mess up some of the ME lore, I've only played Andromeda. If there's any other information I goofed on please let me know. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

"Pathfinder."

The monotonous AI calls, encouraging his human counterpart to wake up. 

"It is in your best interest to board the Tempest as soon as possible. It is now approaching 11:57 AM."

"Yeah I.. Got it." Scott Ryder mutters, rolling over on the bed and reaching out for his blanket. When he finds nothing to wrap himself in he pries a tired eye open to look around. He's in a small, dimly lit room. Alone. 

Sitting up slowly, the young man looks around for something familiar; a picture, a lamp, anything he can use to determine his location. Willing himself not to panic immediately was difficult. He couldn't recall the events of the previous night. It was like a hazy dream, something nebulous and distant.

His thoughts are interrupted by a sudden, violent wave of nausea and he vomits over the side of the bed into a small trashcan he'd barely noticed before. 'Into' was being generous, of course, as his usually impeccable aim was affected by his hangover. Taking a shuddering breath and steadying himself on his forearm, he wipes his mouth on the bottom of his tank top and groans in instant regret at the thought of having to wear it on his way back to the Tempest. Seeing the mess he'd made, in a stranger's home no less, was a humiliating reminder not to drink as hard as he sometimes tended to. Missions were clearly taxing on the young Pathfinder's physical and mental state and Lexi had often suggested he find an activity he enjoyed to distract himself. He was sure this wasn't what she meant, though.

There's a quick knock on the door before it opens and an older human man enters the room looking fondly at him, like he knows him. Ryder was certain they'd never met before. Probably.  
He waits for the man to say something. He feels like it's rude for him to speak first.

"What, don't you remember me?" the man asks, mockingly putting a hand over his chest in feigned offense.

"No, I don't.." he answers after a moment, standing to collect his remaining clothes and leave. 

The man huffs out a laugh and watches him, leaning on the doorway and crossing his arms in observation. Ryder tries not to look at him, too embarrassed by his mess and the fact that he was still there in the first place. He feels terrible for not remembering him, seeing as they clearly must have had sex. He finishes pulling on his socks and looks around for his shoes. 

"This what you're lookin' for, sweetheart?" He kicks one of the missing shoes over to him and continues to watch his frantic performance. Ryder catches it and promptly puts it on, standing on aching legs and powering through the nausea to walk past him. Something about the way the man watches is unnerving and makes him want to return to his ship for a nice, hot shower. Not that the hangover didn't already call for one.

"Wait!" he calls as Ryder begins to reach for the front door. He makes a quick transaction on his omni-tool and Ryder gets a notification on his device indicating a transfer of funds. "A little somethin' for you."

That confuses him. He's never had a hook-up offer him credits for their time together. He mutters a quiet 'thanks' and leaves, pulling the door shut behind him softly. Loud noises were his worst enemy while recovering from a hangover.

The sunlight is intense. As he steps out of the man's small house, he protects his eyes with his forearm, and squints to let in as little of the blinding light in as possible. He knew he could expect a headache later. Another good indication that he needed to control his drinking. As if waking up in a stranger's bed with no memory of how he got there isn't enough.

"Where are we, SAM?" Ryder asks, scrubbing his hands over his face and looking around after his eyes have adjusted. He's certain he's still in Kadara Port but can't remember leaving the bar or which direction it's in.

"You are currently in the northwest region of a previously unexplored part of Kadara Port. Would you like directions back to the Tempest, Pathfinder?"

"Sure. The sooner we get back, the better." Another wave of nausea hits and he decides he really doesn't want to leave another mess for somebody else to clean up.

"Understood. Taking a moment to calculate the fastest route."

SAM's directions bring him back to the ship in time to vomit in the privacy of his own quarters and with the luxury of having a handful of napkins nearby. He sits on the floor with a small trash bin in his lap and a cup of water he found on the coffee table. It was from the night before last but he wasn't going to be picky right now. Anything was better than the current taste in his mouth. Ryder felt his stomach painfully clench after sipping the water and he wonders why the hangover is so bad this morning. 

"SAM, I need a summary of last night. How much did I drink?" 

The AI takes a moment to respond. 

"Please take into account that my memory is limited to what you have experienced yourself." he reminds him.

"You've told me this before." Ryder counters patiently, clutching the bin to his chest and leaning his head against the edge of it.

"Apologies. You entered Kralla's Song at approximately 10:58 PM with squadmates Cora, Liam, Vetra and Drack. You sat at the bar for twenty two minutes where you observed the other patrons dancing. You got up to dance for three songs and sat back down after a song you disliked started. You then approached the bar for a drink and had another immediately following the first. A human male in his late thirties approached you for a dance and you declined."

He hesitates again and Ryder wonders if he's somehow malfunctioning. As he's about to prompt him, SAM finally speaks up.

"After ordering your third drink and leaving it on the bar, you got up to dance for an additional fourty-three minutes before finishing your drink and retiring for the night. It is here that the information is compromised, but I will attempt to give you as many details as possible."

Ryder looks up from the bin and shoots SAM’s router a confused look. He knew SAM couldn't really 'see' him but it never stopped him from reacting as if he could.  
"Go on." he encourages, brow furrowed in anticipation.

"After finishing your drink and speaking with the Asari bartender, you felt yourself lose balance and sat back down upon the bartender's instruction. The human male that approached you earlier in the evening offered to escort you home and you accepted his proposition. I will add that he was quite insistent that you accompany him, suggesting that you were susceptible to being taken advantage of."

SAM finishes and Ryder finds himself uneasily gripping the bin, much tighter than before. He doesn't want to consider that he might have been drugged but SAM's account of his behavoir doesn't sound like him. There had clearly been a reason he'd declined the man before so ending up in his bed was definitely unusual. He rules out as many possibilites as he can. Maybe he'd accidentily ordered a stronger drink than he was used to. Or.. Well, there's not much else he can think of. It all seems so unlike him.

He considers going to the med bay to ask Lexi if she can run some tests, see what's in his system, if anything. As humiliating as it would be dragging himself to her office looking like he did, the thought of having been raped or unknowingly living with a disease was a lot worse than the temporary embarrassment. He needed the peace of mind.

Standing, wiping his mouth on a tissue and setting the bin back down in its place, he gets up from the floor and takes a gulp from the cup to rinse his mouth. He briefly contemplates throwing on a clean shirt but decides against it. It was enough that he'd have to wash this outfit and laundry was one of his least favorite chores. He activates the door's lock and once it opens for him, heads to the Med Bay. Lexi is at her computer, busily typing and seemingly unaware of his presence. He felt guilty at the thought of distracting the doctor from her work. After all, he was the one that should have been keeping an eye on his drinks. He was the one that didn't ask the man any questions, too embarrassed to do anything but flee. He was the one who'd done everything wrong.

Lexi turns around, interrupting his thoughts. Quietly leaving wasn't much of an option now.

"Hello, Ryder." she greets him politely. "What can I do for you?" 

"Hey, Lexi. Dr. T'Perro." he corrects himself. "I think I.. Can you maybe run some tests on me or something? I'm worried about something that happened last night." 

"I'll need you to be more specific. Are you alright?" she asks, observing the human's disheveled appearance and apprehensive demeanor.

"I don't remember much but SAM tells me I went home with a guy I didn't know and I woke up with the worst hangover of my life this morning. And by don't know I mean I don't remember him at all. I'm not usually this bad at remembering the faces of the guys I sleep with."

Lexi nods and motions for him to sit. He takes his place on one of the stiff, vinyl beds and releases a breath he didn't realise he was holding. She takes a seat in her rolling chair and scoots over to him, placing a gentle blue hand on his. 

"Scott, I'm sorry this happened to you." Her tone is even, no overt pity or judgement in her expression. He's thankful for her professionalism. "I'll need you to consent to a rape-kit exam. Everything you've stated sounds typical of-"

"Maybe I'm overreacting. I think I'm going to go back to my room and take a shower. I just want to forget all of this ever happened.." 

"If you shower, we would be losing crucial evidence. Please, Scott. Think about your health. The safety of yourself and your future partners. You need to at least know what the current status of your health is."

Hearing somebody else say it makes it feel real and he looks away, eyes settling on the potted plant near the door. 

"I know.." he mutters, pushing his hair back with his fingers and finding a slightly crusted clump of hair. He gives up on untangling it for now and doesn't want to think about what's in it.  
He thinks of what he'd say to Sara if she were in this situation instead of him. She'd probably be just as nervous as he was but he'd encourage her to be brave, tell her it's not her fault and that he's there for her.

With certainty, he looks up at Lexi and nods.

"I'm ready."


	2. Chapter 2

The doctor locks the door and activates the cloaking mechanism on the window, allowing them to work in privacy. All of the warmth the asari usually exuded was replaced by a neutral, almost detached tone. He was sure that in any other circumstance it would be off-putting but right now, he's alright with it. Almost needed it. He wanted to get this over with and coddling wouldn't help. It might make him feel worse, he thinks. 

First she asks if he'd like to involve the authorities. He thinks of what would happen if word somehow got out and politely declines. There's nothing she can do to force him to take legal action so she doesn't push it. 

"I can't give you anything to eat or drink until after your exam, I'm afraid." Scott nods in understanding. He probably wouldn't be able to keep too much down right now anyway, despite his stomach's desperate rumbling. After setting a plastic lined garbage can next to her patient, Lexi sits before him, giving him a caring smile and enough room to feel comfortable.   
He wasn't comfortable with the invasive questions that came next, however. So much of the night before was still fuzzy. There are large portions he isn't able to piece together and he feels bad for not being able to give her more. The pounding in his head isn't helping, either.

"Were you harassed or injured by anybody prior to the incident? Any comments or unsolicited groping that you can recall?" 

"No, not that I remember. SAM said that the guy I uh.. slept with asked me to dance before I left with him. I remember turning him down."

Lexi nods and takes a few notes in the chart on her datapad.

"And what did he look like? Can you remember much of him? Maybe his hair color or his height?"

"Dark brown hair, I think. It could have been black. It was hard to tell. Uh.. He was a little taller than me. Bearded. I mean, I didn't really get a good look at him. I left after I threw up in his house." The memory makes him cringe internally. 

"Do you recall anybody watching you for an extended period of time? Do you think you may have been drugged?"

"I.. Yeah, I mean, that's the reason I'm here. SAM says I left my drink at the bar to dance."

The guilt sets back in after he admits it and he looks down at his pants, picking at a loose thread and rolling it between his fingers.

"Do you remember any penetration? This includes orally and anally." She asks, politely avoiding eye contact.

He falters for a moment at the question and abandons the thread he was toying with.

"I can't really say. I don't remember enough of last night to give you a solid answer.. I just know that everything hurt this morning when I got up."

"Where, specifically?" she presses.

"My head, my jaw, and my feet. My legs and ass and.. Lower back, I guess. I don't know if any of that means anything, though. I've been sore from partying before."

"We'll see once we've run all of the appropriate tests. How much did you have to drink last night, exactly?"

He inhales deeply, looking around the room like the answer is on the wall somewhere. SAM speaks up for the first time in a while, startling Ryder slightly.

"Approximately 192 mL or 6.49229 fl oz of blended malt scotch whiskey, served neat. The three drinks were unevenly distributed and contained more than that of a standard drink."

"Thank you, SAM." Lexi replies, typing away at her datapad.

The thought of alcohol makes Ryder's stomach churn. He tries to compose himself but the sharp, acrid taste of bile hits his throat again and he turns to void his stomach contents into the garbage can.

"Here," Lexi hands him a grip of tissues and he wipes his mouth miserably. He tosses the used ones over his mess.

"Alright, I think that wraps up the verbal history portion of the exam. I'll need to take your blood and then we can begin the physical inspection."

 

-

 

Ryder's never had a problem with needles. In fact, the blood draw is almost comforting in a way. It's the only thing so far he's been familiar with. He flexes his arm a few times beneath the tourniquet, feeling it bite back in defiance. The slight pain makes him feel grounded.

"I'll need you to hold this down and keep your arm raised for a moment, please." Lexi instructs after she withdraws the needle, pressing a gauze pad to his arm. She adjusts her hold on the gauze placed over the wound so he can take over and quickly labels the small vials of blood collected.

He patiently keeps his arm raised as he watches her search one of the black storage containers in the corner. She has to go through a few of them before she finds what she's looking for. When she turns back to him, she's holding a white box. She tears at the sticker lining the top, breaking the seal. Inside are a stack of small sealed pouches, some white paper bags, a few empty self-sealing envelopes and a large piece of paper folded neatly beneath it all. After seeing it all he can tell this is probably going to take a while. When the bleeding has finally stopped, he disposes of the gauze with a disheartened sigh.

"This is the official rape-kit. Included are instruments for scraping your body down for evidence as well as oral, anal and genital swabs. There's also a sheet I'll need you to undress over and a pair of combs for your head and pubic hair. I'll need a urine sample as well. Your clothes will be collected in these bags." She states, unfolding and shaking out a few of the large paper bags and setting them on the ground next to where she stands. 

"Scrape my body down? Is that gonna hurt?"

"No, not at all. I'll be using a tongue depressor." She assures, showing him the packet. Enclosed in the sterile paper wrapper is the small wooden stick, as promised. The doctor is walking him through it slowly so he has time to take everything in. He knows she's worried that he'll spend too much time in his head. 

"Why don't you stand up and back up a bit so I can lay this sheet out. There you go."

She beckons him to stand in the middle of the white sheet and he quickly begins the task of removing his clothing. Lexi urges him to slow his movements, insisting that hairs or debris from the assault may be lost from his frantic actions. He knows he has to listen but it's hell. It's easier to just let his body run on auto pilot, turning his brain off and getting it over with as soon as possible.

"You've got some bruising around your hips and the backs of your thighs. Looks like there's a bite on your shoulder here, too. I'll need to swab the injuries for any traces of DNA your attackers may have left." She remarks once the outer layers have been shed. 

"Attackers?" Ryder asks, looking down at the marks absently after he removes his socks. "I said there was only one guy." He stands in his boxers, feeling a slight chill in the air. He shudders. Each article of clothing disappears into its own bag and is labeled appropriately. He'll be glad if he never has to see the outfit again. 

Lexi uses the long, cotton tipped swabs to gently rub the aforementioned wounds and stores them in envelopes once she's done with them. 

"Yes, there's a possibility that you were assaulted by more than one person. It's not uncommon in cases like these. We can't exactly reject the idea until we've gathered the evidence."

He nods, not really interested in the suggestion. It was appalling to think one man might have done this to him, he doesn't know how he'll react if he finds out the doctor is right. She pulls him from his thoughts as she uses a tongue depressor to gently trace his body. It tickles in places but he stays obediently still. He doesn't even know if he could laugh right now.

"You'll need to remove your undergarments now, please." Lexi advises, turning to retrieve a hospital gown from her supply bin. She holds it up in front of him, blocking her view of his body and allowing him to ease his arms through once he's fully disrobed. After depositing his boxers into the final paper bag and lacing the few ties going up the back of the gown, the doctor has him open his mouth for the buccal specimen collection. Her gloved hand is on his jaw, gently holding his mouth open. The feeling of his cheeks and tongue being rubbed down by the comb-like swab is odd to say the least. 

"I'm going to have you comb your head and pubic hair. It's a lot less painful for you to do it yourself. Don't worry, there's nothing you can do to mess it up. Just use a downward motion and try to be thorough." She offers the two combs to him and turns around, typing randomly on her datapad to make herself look busy.

His hair is clumped together in small knots and it takes a few passes with the comb to untangle it all. Small flakes are wound up between the hairs and small black teeth of the comb. He takes the second one and slips it under his gown. Instantly he understands why she allowed him to do it himself. Small knots he didn't realize were there make themselves known as he pulls the comb through the patch of hair and he nearly exclaims at the startling pain of hairs being pulled out at random. After being as thorough as he can manage, he clears his throat and signals that he's finished. Lexi takes the combs and deposits them carefully into the appropriate envelopes.

"Stand with your arms up and out. I'm going to scan you for traces of dried secretions."

He follows her instructions and she raises the omni-tool, slowly scanning him from head to toe. The human squints as the bright orange light shines in his eyes. After nothing obvious is found she deactivates the scanner.

"What's next?" He doesn't know why he asks. Probably to fill the silence.

"Genital and anal swab. I'll need you to stand still and hold up your gown for just a moment for the first one. These are a bit more invasive, as I'm sure you can imagine. Are you ready?" She asks, pulling two of the now familiar cotton tipped swabs from their respective envelopes.

He nods. He feels too embarrassed to drag it out any longer. The shower he promised himself is looking like heaven at this point. She quickly drags it along the head of his penis, taking no more time than she needs to and places it back into its paper pouch. 

"For this last part I'll need you to assume the left lateral or Sim's position." 

"You're gonna have to explain that one. You want me.. laying down, right?' he guesses, unsure of what she's asking.

"Sorry, lay on your stomach and I'll guide you. Perfect. There you go." She presses her gloved hand gently to the back of his right leg and has him drape it over his left. She then pulls the pillow from the other bed and stuffs it under his right knee, allowing it to be elevated comfortably. 

"This shouldn't hurt at all. You're going to feel some pressure and then it'll be over. Are you ready?"

He nods again, focusing on the fabric of the pillow his head rests on. There's no pain, as promised. Just the cool air on his bare ass and the pressure she described. Once she's finished and it's been deposited into its envelope like the rest, she gently pats his arm to let him know he can get up. He sets aside the pillow supporting his knee and swings his legs back over the side of the bed. Lexi folds up the paper he disrobed over and puts it safely into an envelope before putting it into the box on top of everything else.

She rummages through her bins again, this time retrieving a pair of clean sweatpants, underwear and a shirt for him. He watches her place a small, opaque container on top of the pile before handing it all to him. 

"Since your clothes are being collected as evidence, you won't be getting them back. Not for a while, anyway." She says apologetically.

"It's fine."

"Go ahead and get dressed. Then I'll need you to collect a urine sample and you'll be all set. Your test results will be ready in just a few days."

"Great." 

"I'm going to get you something to eat and drink. Normally I'd ask if you have a preference but for the hangover you're getting toast and water. Doctor's orders." She smiles at him and places a friendly hand on his shoulder, trying her best to comfort him. They both know there's not much she can do right now. 

She finally leaves and Ryder disrobes once more. The hospital gown falls to the ground in a heap and he kicks it aside. It feels good to wear real clothes again. The trip to and from the restroom is uneventful and Lexi is in the Med Bay waiting for him when he returns. His food sits on a tray on the bed he's been using. 

"Just set that on my desk, please." She instructs him, pointing the way with a pen. He notices her tone has returned to normal. At least something feels normal right now.

He deposits the bottle onto her desk and looks to the small pile of toast and bottle of water. He's not particularly hungry but he knows he has to put something in his stomach. If not for his sake, then for his doctor's. He's worried her enough for one day. Bringing the tray to his lap as he sits, he examines the food before him. A small packet of jelly sits next to the toast, almost taunting him. The sweetness would only agitate his stomach further so he avoids it. Instead he begins taking a few meager bites of the toast, washing it down with swigs of water and fighting to keep it down all the while. 

"Can I take the rest of this to my room? I'm pretty tired."

"Of course. Just take the pills in this little paper cup here and you're free to go whenever you're ready. It's medication for a number of easily preventable alien and human STI's and diseases."

He downs them with a gulp of water and takes the tray, ready to finally retire to his room and prepare for his shower.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Please take this," Lexi stops him, digs through a drawer and presents a pamphlet to him. "It details the healing process and there are some hotlines that you can call listed on the back. And of course I'm always here to talk."

"Thanks, Lexi. I don't know if I could have done this with anybody else." 

"Not a problem, Ryder. Now you go get your rest. And no missions for a week." She flashes him a warm smile.

This is where he'd usually smile back and say something to make her laugh but he doesn't have it in him today. The pamphlet is hastily folded and stuffed into the large back pocket of the sweatpants and he heads back to his quarters, tray in hand. 

Once the door closes behind him the tray is dumped into the garbage and he sits on his bed, resting his elbows on his knees. The pamphlet in his pocket crinkles with his movements. Before he can toss it into the trash can with his abandoned food, SAM gets his attention.

"You should consider saving the information Dr. T'Perro has provided you. It could be useful once you're ready to-"

"Not now, SAM." Ryder brings his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose and rubs small, comforting circles into his skin, trying to fight off the remainder of his headache. He isn't in the mood to talk to SAM or anybody else. Surprisingly, the AI doesn't respond. The pamphlet is thrown into a drawer and he wonders if SAM is being obedient or polite as he heads to the bathroom for his long-overdue shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have skipped some steps/over-simplified some things for the sake of plot. I meant to have this chapter up sooner but the research for this part was more important to me than rushing to post an update. If there are any obvious mistakes, please do point them out.


End file.
